Thu, Oct 31st - 10:40AM
THE CROSS: THE END OF SIN
English word studies can be really entertaining sometimes. It is humorous and puzzling to try to understand some English words. Some words are spelled the same but pronounced differently according to their use. For example, I will 'read' the paper now." In that use 'read' is pronounced like 'reed,' as a reed growing in the river, If, however, I say, "I 'read* the paper this morning." 'read’ is pronounced like 'red, the color.' Then, there are words pronounced the same but spelled differently. For example 'bear' that you might find in the woods, or 'bare* as you would be if you took your clothes off. We could entertain ourselves a long time with English words with a little puzzle and humor. One of the most intriguing words to me is the word 'end'. It has so many meanings all the while being spelled and pronounced the same. Checking a dictionary for 'end', I found several meanings: ‘aim‘, like “What is the end you have in mind?”; ‘purpose‘, like to what end are you working for?”; ‘goal‘; ‘intention‘; ‘object‘; ‘target‘; ‘cessation‘; ‘stop,’ ‘close‘; ‘intent‘; ‘rear‘; ‘conclude‘; ‘finish‘; ‘cease‘ and ‘desist‘; ‘abort‘; ‘discontinue‘; ‘halt‘; ‘quit‘; ‘result‘. These are all synonyms for the word ‘end.’ There are always several ways we can look at something. I remember my first day as a freshman in Mineral Wells High School. I don’t remember the subject of the class I was in at that period. I don’t remember the teacher’s name. I do remember it was the first male teacher I had ever had. He gave each student a 3x5 index card and instructed us to write our name on it and pass it up to him. He proceeded to call the name on each card. When the person answered, I noticed he got them into a conversation and before you know it he ended the conversation with a swat with a paddle. He called, “Dale Purifoy”. I replied, “That’s Doyle Purifoy.” He said, “The way I look at it, it is Dale.” I said, “Well, look at it another way.” That was the swat that was heard around the world. We can look at diamonds from different angles and in different shades of light. From each angle and in each shade of light, the diamond will change its brilliant reflections of colors. We all have peered into a Kaleidoscope. We see many different beautiful patterns as we turn the Kaleidoscope just the slightest. We can look at the word ‘end’ just slightly differently and get a new insight to the meaning of the Cross. The title of this message is: The Cross: the End of Sin. We can look at that many ways, especially since the word ‘end’ has so many shades of meaning. The Cross is the ‘end’ of sin in many different ways. It is the purpose of this message to help us articulate for ourselves and for otherS the meaning of the cross. What does the cross mean to you? Walter T. Conner answers that question for himself and others in his book The Cross In the New Testament. The thesis of the book is that the cross was the inevitable-an unavoidable--collision between the righteous Son of God and the sons of iniquity or between Righteousness and unrighteousness. I wish everyone could read this book, but it is out of print. Some Hyper-Calvinists teach that God created both good and evil, both righteousness and unrighteousness. If this were true God would be at war with His own universe. He would fight the evil He created. Jesus said in Matthew 12:24-26: 24But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons, that this fellow casts out the demons.” 25He knew what they were thinking and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? If God created evil, then His Kingdom is divided against itself and cannot stand. If God created evil, God is an Almighty Schizophrenic. God does not create evil, but He is putting an end to sin by the Cross. Each of us needs to give thought to what the cross means to us. This message is one answer to that question: The Cross: The End of Sin. Let us restate the original question: What does the cross mean to you? Or, what is it to you that Jesus died on the cross? Or what difference has it made in your life that Jesus died on the cross? The world needs to know what the cross means to us and to them. Some see the cross as a charm one wears around the neck. It is often made of gold, sometimes only of brass. Whether brass or gold, there is the awe, the fear, the reverence, the magic that surrounds the Zodiac signs of the stars. But when we stand before the judgment bar of God with that little gold cross, will He say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant, you have borne My cross well.? There is more to taking up our cross and following Him than wearing a gold cross around our neck, or on a bracelet, or on a tie tack. It must mean more to us than a gold charm worn about our neck or even the cross on top a church steeple. These are symbols we do well to know what they signify. When someone asks you what the meaning of the cross is, what is your answer? What does the cross mean to you? What is it to you that Jesus died on the cross? What difference has the cross of Jesus Christ made in your life? In every event God would bless us. Romans 8:28: We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose From the Devil’s point of view, in every event the Devil would try to destroy us. 1 Peter 5:8: Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. From God’s point of view, the cross is a blessing to every man who repents and believes the Gospel. Acts 3:26 says, “When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you, to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.” An evangelist gave this illustration in his message. He told of a draw bridge which one side did not lower. It was dark and difficult to see. A car plummeted off the end of the bridge. The driver, the only one in the car, managed to get out of the car, swim to the bank, and station himself in front of the entrance to the bridge. He wave his arms back and forth, screaming “Stop, turn around, go back, the bridge is out!” ABCD That is what the blessing of Calvary is. It tells us to repent, to stop sinning, to turn around and go God’s way. Have you repented? Have you stopped sinning? Have you changed the direction of your life from going toward hell to going toward heaven. The Cross is the end of sin. From the Devil’s point of view, the cross was to destroy the Son of God and put an end to the Savior of the world. The Bible teaches that the cross is the end of sin. The cross is the end-purpose, the design of sin. The cross is the end-destination of sin. The cross is the end-result of sin. The cross is the end-termination, the cessation of sin. First, the cross is the end of sin in that it is the purpose, design of sin. When that serpent, that dragon, Satan tempted Eve and Adam in the Garden to sin, for what purpose did he want them to sin? He was designing, planning, the death of God, the destruction of God, the removal of God from His throne, the driving of God from His Holy Temple, the body of man. It was to bruise God. The cross is the end-purpose, end-design of sin. As the hymn writer, Robert A. West so aptly put it: His sovereign power our bodies made; Our souls are His immortal breath; And when His creatures sinned He bled To save us from eternal death. Yes, when God’s creatures sinned, He bled.... The end-purpose of sin is the cross. Look at the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. The Lamb was crucified in the Garden of Eden. The Lamb was crucified at the preaching of Noah. The Lamb was crucified at the Tower of Babel. The Lamb was crucified at the golden calf that the children of Israel made when Moses could not be found because he was in the mountain with God. The Lamb of God was crucified when I sinned. The Lamb of God was crucified when you sinned. The cross is the end-purpose, end-design of sin. Secondly, the cross is the end of sin, in that it is sin’s destination, its later extremity. Sin could go no farther. The cross was the worst that sin could do. Sin had finished its course, done its dirty work, exhausted itself. Sin reached its end in the cross. Sin could think of nothing worse. In the cross sin outsmarted itself. In the cross sin could go no farther, there was nothing left undone. Sin came to full fruition. We see sin on the road to the cross when Herod smote all the male children under two years old at Bethlehem. We see sin on the road to the cross when Jesus faced temptation in the wilderness and the loaded questions of the Scribes and the Pharisees. Sin was on the way to the cross when Satan entered the heart of Judas to betray our Lord for thirty pieces of silver. The cross is the end-destination of sin. The cross is the end of the road for sin. Thirdly, the cross is the end of sin, in that it is the result of sin. No one ever stated this clearer than the Lord’s brother, James: James 1:15 “.... sin, when it is fully grown, gives birth to death.” The cross is the end-result of sin. Paul said it another way: Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death;.... The sentence that sin incurs is death. Ezek 18:4 “Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die. The cross in the end-result of sin, of Adam’s sin, of Abel’s sin, as well as Cain’s sin, of Noah’s sin as well as those that perished in the flood or those that were scattered at the tower of Babel. The cross is the end-result of my sin, of your sin, as well as the Jews and the Romans of the first century. The cross is the end-result of sin. Finally, the cross is the end of sin, in that it is the termination, the cessation of Sin. Sin ceases in the cross. Sin rested on the cross. Review these scriptures: 2 Cor 5:15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. Christ died to turn us from sinful selfishness to righteous living for Christ. Rom 6:6-7 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. We were crucified with Christ so that we would stop serving sin, to put an end to our sin. Rom 6:11-14 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. Rom 6:18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. Rom 6:22-23 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 2 Cor 4:10-12 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you. These Scriptures show that the cross is the end-termination, the end-cessation of sin. This is also clear by Acts 3:26: Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities. The cross was meant to turn us from our sins, to put an end to our sins, to lead us to repentance and faith with love in Jesus Christ who died for us. The Cross is the end-result of sin. Jesus knew that when Adam sinned and died, that all men would sin and die. He love all men enough to come to our world and die instead of us. John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. What is it to you that Jesus died? What difference has His death on the cross made in your life? Have you come to the end of sin: the cross? The cross is enough to put an end to your sin, as Heb 9:12-15: 12he entered once for all into the Holy Place, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. 13For if the blood of goats and bulls, with the sprinkling of the ashes of a heifer, sanctifies those who have been defiled so that their flesh is purified, 14how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit£ offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God! Nothing but the blood of Jesus Christ can put an end to our sin. The cross is the end of sin!
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Thu, Oct 31st - 8:30AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE! OPEN HEART SURGERY
A mechanic was removing a cylinder head from the engine of a Harley Davidson motorcycle when he spotted a well-known heart surgeon in his shop. The mechanic shouted across the garage, "Hey, Doc, can I ask you a question?" The surgeon a bit surprised, walked over to the mechanic working on the motorcycle. The mechanic straightened up, wiped his hands on a rag and asked, "So Doc, look at this engine. I open its heart, take the valves out, fix 'em, put 'em back in, and when I finish, it works just like new. So how come I get such a small salary and you get the really big bucks, when you and I are doing basically the same work?"
The surgeon paused, smiled and leaned over, and whispered to the mechanic... "Try doing it with the engine running"
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Thu, Oct 31st - 8:19AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: A man has to live with himself, and he should see to it that he always has good company.* -Charles Evans Hughes, jurist (1862-1948) *"But the aim of such instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith." 1 Timothy 1:5 (NRSV) "Pray for us; we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things." Hebrews 13:18 (NRSV)
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Wed, Oct 30th - 6:41AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A man walks into a bar and asks for a glass of water. The bartender pulls out a shotgun and fires a shot, barely missing the man's head. The man gets up, says thank you, and leaves a tip.
Why the tip and thank you; “because the man had the hiccups.”
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Wed, Oct 30th - 6:23AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: "Preach the gospel at all times; when necessary, use words."* St. Francis of Assisi *19Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19 - 20 (NRSV)
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Tue, Oct 29th - 9:01AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE! CROSSING THE ROAD
There's a man trying to cross the street. As he steps off the curb a car comes screaming around the corner and heads straight for him. The man walks faster, trying to hurry across the street, but the car changes lanes and is still coming at him. So the guy turns around to go back, but the car changes lanes again and is still coming at him. By now, the car is so close and the man so scared that he just freezes and stops in the middle of the road. The car gets real close, then swerves at the last possible moment and screeches to a halt right next him. The driver rolls down the window. The driver is a squirrel. The squirrel says to the man says, "See, it's not as easy as it looks, is it?"
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Tue, Oct 29th - 8:49AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: "Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."* -- Melody Beattie *"give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NRSV)
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Mon, Oct 28th - 7:58AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
I have five siblings, three sisters and two brothers. One night I was chatting with my Mom about how she had changed as a mother from the first child to the last. She told me she had mellowed a lot over the years: "When your oldest sister coughed or sneezed, I called the ambulance. When your youngest brother swallowed a dime, I just told him it was coming out of his allowance."
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Mon, Oct 28th - 7:50AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: Once “the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit,” we deliberately begin to identify ourselves with Jesus Christ’s interests and purposes in others’ lives (Romans 5:5).* (Oswald Chambers: My Utmost for His Highest Feb 24) *"and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us." Romans 5:5 (NRSV)
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Sun, Oct 27th - 7:13AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A boy was teaching a girl arithmetic, he said it was his mission. He kissed her once; he kissed her twice and said, "Now that's addition." In silent satisfaction, she sweetly gave the kisses back and said, "Now that's subtraction." Then he kissed her, she kissed him, without an explanation. And both together smiled and said, "That's multiplication." Then her Dad appeared upon the scene and made a quick decision. He kicked that boy three blocks away and said, "That's long division!"
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Sun, Oct 27th - 7:00AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
In every event Satan would destroy us. In every event God would bless us.* *Romans 8:28: We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose
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Sat, Oct 26th - 11:51AM
We Have God's Undivided Attention
Because Jesus ascended to the right hand of God and sent the Holy Spirit to us, we have unlimited access to Him. Believe that Jesus is nearer to you than the breath you breathe. Our God is so great that He can give to you and your prayers His undivided attention WITHOUT NEGLECTING ANYONE ELSE.”
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Sat, Oct 26th - 11:30AM
THE CROSS: THE END OF SIN
English word studies can be really entertaining sometimes. It is humorous and puzzling to try to understand some English words. Some words are spelled the same but pronounced differently according to their use. For example, I will 'read' the paper now." In that use 'read' is pronounced like 'reed,' as a reed growing in the river, If, however, I say, "I 'read* the paper this morning." 'read’ is pronounced like 'red, the color.' Then, there are words pronounced the same but spelled differently. For example 'bear' that you might find in the woods, or 'bare* as you would be if you took your clothes off. We could entertain ourselves a long time with English words with a little puzzle and humor. One of the most intriguing words to me is the word 'end'. It has so many meanings all the while being spelled and pronounced the same. Checking a dictionary for 'end', I found several meanings: ‘aim‘, like “What is the end you have in mind?”; ‘purpose‘, like to what end are you working for?”; ‘goal‘; ‘intention‘; ‘object‘; ‘target‘; ‘cessation‘; ‘stop,’ ‘close‘; ‘intent‘; ‘rear‘; ‘conclude‘; ‘finish‘; ‘cease‘ and ‘desist‘; ‘abort‘; ‘discontinue‘; ‘halt‘; ‘quit‘; ‘result‘. These are all synonyms for the word ‘end.’ There are always several ways we can look at something. I remember my first day as a freshman in Mineral Wells High School. I don’t remember the subject of the class I was in at that period. I don’t remember the teacher’s name. I do remember it was the first male teacher I had ever had. He gave each student a 3x5 index card and instructed us to write our name on it and pass it up to him. He proceeded to call the name on each card. When the person answered, I noticed he got them into a conversation and before you know it he ended the conversation with a swat with a paddle. He called, “Dale Purifoy”. I replied, “That’s Doyle Purifoy.” He said, “The way I look at it, it is Dale.” I said, “Well, look at it another way.” That was the swat that was heard around the world. We can look at diamonds from different angles and in different shades of light. From each angle and in each shade of light, the diamond will change its brilliant reflections of colors. We have all peered into a Kaleidoscope. We see many different beautiful patterns as we turn the Kaleidoscope just the slightest. We can look at the word ‘end’ just slightly differently and get a new insight to the meaning of the Cross. The title of this message is: The Cross: the End of Sin. We can look at that many ways, especially since the word ‘end’ has so many shades of meaning.
The Cross is the ‘end’ of sin in many different ways. It is the purpose of this message to help us articulate for ourselves and for other the meaning of the cross. What does the cross mean to you? Walter T. Conner answers that question for himself and others in his book The Cross In the New Testament. The thesis of the book is that the cross was the inevitable-an unavoidable--collision between the righteous Son of God and the sons of iniquity or between Righteousness and unrighteousness. I wish everyone could read this book, but it is out of print. Some Hyper-Calvinists teach that God created both good and evil, both righteousness and unrighteousness. If this were true God would be at war with His own universe. He would fight the evil He created. Jesus said in Matthew 12:24-26: 24But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons, that this fellow casts out the demons.” 25He knew what they were thinking and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? If God created evil, then His Kingdom is divided against itself and cannot stand. If God created evil, God is an Almighty Schizophrenic. God does not create evil, but He is putting an end to sin by the Cross. Each of us needs to give thought to what the cross means to us. This message is one answer to that question: The Cross: The End of Sin. Let us restate the original question: What does the cross mean to you? Or, what is it to you that Jesus died on the cross? Or what difference has it made in your life that Jesus died on the cross? The world needs to know what the cross means to us and to them. Some see the cross as a charm one wears around the neck. It is often made of gold, sometimes only of brass. Whether brass or gold, there is the awe, the fear, the reverence, the magic that surrounds the Zodiac signs of the stars. But when we stand before the judgment bar of God with that little gold cross, will He say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant, you have borne My cross well.? There is more to taking up our cross and following Him than wearing a gold cross around our neck, or on a bracelet, or on a tie tack. It must mean more to us than a gold charm worn about our neck or even the cross on top a church steeple. These are symbols we do well to know what they signify. When someone asks you what the meaning of the cross is, what is your answer? What does the cross mean to you? What is it to you that Jesus died on the cross? What difference has the cross of Jesus Christ made in your life? In every event God would bless us. Romans 8:28: We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose From the Devil’s point of view, in every event the Devil would try to destroy us. 1 Peter 5:8: Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. From God’s point of view, the cross is a blessing to every man who repents and believes the Gospel. Acts 3:26 says, “When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you, to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.” An evangelist gave this illustration in his message. He told of a draw bridge which one side did not lower. It was dark and difficult to see. A car plummeted off the end of the bridge. The driver, the only one in the car, managed to get out of the car, swim to the bank, and station himself in front of the entrance to the bridge. He wave his arms back and forth, screaming Stop, turn around, go back, the bridge is out! That is what the blessing of Calvary is. It tells us to repent, to stop sinning, to turn around and go God’s way. Have you repented? Have you stopped sinning? Have you changed the direction of your life from going toward hell to going toward heaven. The Cross is the end of sin. From the Devil’s point of view, the cross was to destroy the Son of God and put an end to the Savior of the world. The Bible teaches that the cross is the end of sin. The cross is the end-purpose, the design of sin. The cross is the end-destination of sin. The cross is the end-result of sin. The cross is the end-termination, the cessation of sin. First, the cross is the end of sin in that it is the purpose, design of sin. When that serpent, that dragon, Satan tempted Eve and Adam in the Garden to sin, for what purpose did he want them to sin? He was designing, planning, the death of God, the destruction of God, the removal of God from His throne, the driving of God from His Holy Temple, the body of man. It was to bruise God. The cross is the end-purpose, end-design of sin. As the hymn writer, Robert A. West so aptly put it: His sovereign power our bodies made; Our souls are His immortal breath; And when His creatures sinned He bled To save us from eternal death. Yes, when God’s creatures sinned, He bled.... The end-purpose of sin is the cross. Look at the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. The Lamb was crucified in the Garden of Eden. The Lamb was crucified at the preaching of Noah. The Lamb was crucified at the Tower of Babel. The Lamb was crucified at the golden calf that the children of Israel made when Moses could not be found because he was in the mountain with God. The Lamb of God was crucified when I sinned. The Lamb of God was crucified when you sinned. The cross is the end-purpose, end-design of sin. Secondly, the cross is the end of sin, in that it is sin’s destination, its later extremity. Sin could go no farther. The cross was the worst that sin could do. Sin had finished its course, done its dirty work, exhausted itself. Sin reached its end in the cross. Sin could think of nothing worse. In the cross sin outsmarted itself. In the cross sin could go no farther, there was nothing left undone. Sin came to full fruition. We see sin on the road to the cross when Herod smote all the male children under two years old at Bethlehem. We see sin on the road to the cross when Jesus faced temptation in the wilderness and the loaded questions of the Scribes and the Pharisees. Sin was on the way to the cross when Satan entered the heart of Judas to betray our Lord for thirty pieces of silver. The cross is the end-destination of sin. The cross is the end of the road for sin. Thirdly, the cross is the end of sin, in that it is the result of sin. No one ever stated this clearer than the Lord’s brother, James: James 1:15 “.... sin, when it is fully grown, gives birth to death.” The cross is the end-result of sin. Paul said it another way: Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death;.... The sentence that sin incurs is death. Ezek 18:4 “Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die. The cross in the end-result of sin, of Adam’s sin, of Abel’s sin, as well as Cain’s sin, of Noah’s sin as well as those that perished in the flood or those that were scattered at the tower of Babel. The cross is the end-result of my sin, of your sin, as well as the Jews and the Romans of the first century. The cross is the end-result of sin. Finally, the cross is the end of sin, in that it is the termination, the cessation of Sin. Sin ceases in the cross. Sin rested on the cross. Review these scriptures: 2 Cor 5:15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. Christ died to turn us from sinful selfishness to righteous living for Christ. Rom 6:6-7 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. We were crucified with Christ so that we would stop serving sin, to put an end to our sin. Rom 6:11-14 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. Rom 6:18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. Rom 6:22-23 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 2 Cor 4:10-12 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you. These Scriptures show that the cross is the end-termination, the end-cessation of sin. This is also clear by Acts 3:26: Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities. The cross was meant to turn us from our sins, to put an end to our sins, to lead us to repentance and faith with love in Jesus Christ who died for us. The Cross is the end-result of sin. Jesus knew that when Adam sinned and died, that all men would sin and die. He love all men enough to come to our world and die instead of us. John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. What is it to you that Jesus died? What difference has His death on the cross made in your life? Have you come to the end of sin: the cross? The cross is enough to put an end to your sin, as Heb 9:12-15: 12he entered once for all into the Holy Place, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. 13For if the blood of goats and bulls, with the sprinkling of the ashes of a heifer, sanctifies those who have been defiled so that their flesh is purified, 14how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit£ offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God! Nothing but the blood of Jesus Christ can put an end to our sin. The cross is the end of sin!
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Sat, Oct 26th - 9:07AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
Employed by the human-development center of a corporation in the midwest, my friend trains employees in proper dress codes and etiquette.One day as she was stepping onto the elevator, a man casually dressed in jeans and a golf shirt got on with her. Thinking of her responsibilities, she scolded, "Dressed a little casually today, aren't we?" The man replied, "That's one benefit of owning the company...."
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Sat, Oct 26th - 8:49AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
THOUGHT FOR TODAY! It is easy enough to be friendly to one's friends. But to befriend the one who regards himself as your enemy is the quintessence of true religion. The other is mere business*. -Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869-1948) *"And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?" Matthew 5:47 (NRSV)
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Fri, Oct 25th - 8:50AM
GOD'S HOLINESS ABD MAN'S SIN
All divine judgment seems and sounds unjust until we see God as he is and ourselves as we are, according to Scripture. As for God, Scripture uses the pictures of light and fire to set forth his perfect holiness. He dwells in unapproachable light, dazzling, even blinding in its splendour, and is a consuming fire. Human beings who have only glimpsed his glory have been unable to bear the sight, and have turned away or run away or swooned. As for ourselves, I often want to say to my contemporaries what Anselm said to his, 'You have not yet considered the seriousness of sin.'
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Fri, Oct 25th - 8:41AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
The man was in no shape to drive, so he wisely left his car parked and walked home. As he was walking unsteadily along, he was stopped by a policeman. "What are you doing out here at 2 A.M.?" asked the officer. "I'm going to a lecture." The man said. "And who is going to give a lecture at this hour?" the cop asked. "My wife," said the man.
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Fri, Oct 25th - 8:37AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: "The optimist says we live in the best of all possible worlds and the pessimist fears this is true"* -- Source Unknown" *"God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day." Genesis 1:31 (NRSV) ""He hath made every thing beautiful in his time:...." Ecclesiastes 3:11 (KJV)
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Thu, Oct 24th - 8:36AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDCINE!
About 90 fifth-graders piled into the airliner I was flying, on their way home from a school trip. Once we were in the air, and the crew began serving drinks, I could hear them pleading with the children to settle down and let the other passengers get some sleep. No amount of reasoning seemed to help, until I thought of the solution that actually worked. I picked up the PA mike in the cockpit and announced, "Children, this is the captain speaking. Don't make me stop this airplane and come back there!"
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Thu, Oct 24th - 8:29AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: If you want to be like Jesus, do what Jesus does.* Rick Warren *12Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. John 14:12 (NRSV)
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Wed, Oct 23rd - 7:34AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
| Impressive Dinner A young man called his mother and announced excitedly that he had just met the woman of his dreams. Now what should he do? His mother had an idea: "Why don't you send her flowers, and on the card invite her to your apartment for a home-cooked meal?" He thought this was a great strategy, and a week later, the woman came to dinner. His mother called the next day to see how things had gone. "I was totally humiliated," he moaned. "She insisted on washing the dishes." "What's wrong with that?" asked his mother. "We hadn't started eating yet." |
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Wed, Oct 23rd - 7:26AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: "What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."* -- Ralph Waldo Emerson *"and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20 (NRSV)
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Tue, Oct 22nd - 8:39AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A kindergarten teacher handed out a coloring page to her class. On it was a picture of a duck holding an umbrella. The teacher told her class to color the duck in yellow and the umbrella green, however, Bobby, the class rebel, colored the duck in a bright fire truck red. After seeing this, the teacher asked him: "Bobby, how many times have you see a red duck?" Young Bobby replied with "The same number of times I've seen a duck an umbrella holding an umbrella.
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Tue, Oct 22nd - 8:29AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.* William A. Ward *40A disciple is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully qualified will be like the teacher. Luke 6:40 (NRSV)
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Mon, Oct 21st - 9:43AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A young man had just gotten his driving permit. He asked his father, who was a minister, if they could discuss his use of the car. His father said to him, "I'll make a deal with you. You bring your grades up, study your bible a little, and get your hair cut, then we will talk about it." A month later the young man came back and again asked his father if they could discuss his use of the car. His father said, "Son, I'm real proud of you. You have brought your grades up, you've studied your bible diligently, but you didn't get a hair cut!" The young man waited a moment and replied, "You know dad, I've been thinking about that. You know Samson had long hair, Moses had long hair, Noah had long hair, and even Jesus had long hair." His father replied, "Yes son, and they walked everywhere they went!"
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Mon, Oct 21st - 9:34AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: It is good to be a Christian and know it, but it is better to be a Christian and show it.* Pastor Tim provided this quote. *Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. 1 John 3:18 (NRSV) |
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Mon, Oct 21st - 9:13AM
GOD'S INACCESSIBILITY TO SINNERS
We learn to appreciate the access to God which Christ has won for us only after we have first seen God's inaccessibility to sinners. We can cry 'Hallelujah' with authenticity only after we have first cried 'Woe is me, for I am lost'. In Dale's words, 'it is partly because sin does not provoke our own wrath, that we do not believe that sin provokes the wrath of God'.(1) JOHN STOTT
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Sun, Oct 20th - 9:00AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
An out-of-towner drove his car into a ditch in a desolated area. Luckily, a local farmer came to help with his big strong horse named Buddy.
He hitched Buddy up to the car and yelled, "Pull, Nellie, pull!" Buddy didn't move.
Then the farmer hollered, "Pull, Buster, pull!" Buddy didn't respond.
Once more the farmer commanded, "Pull, Coco, pull!" Nothing.
Then the farmer nonchalantly said, "Pull, Buddy, pull!" And the horse easily dragged the car out of the ditch.
The motorist was most appreciative and very curious. He asked the farmer why he called his horse by the wrong name three times.
The farmer said, "Oh, Buddy is blind and if he thought he was the only one pulling, he wouldn't even try!"
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Sun, Oct 20th - 8:43AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
THOUGHT FOR TODAY! God is holy, righteous, just, and wise enough to save by grace through faith without violating His holiness, righteousness, or justice.* *Deuteronomy 32:3-4 (NRSV) "For I will proclaim the name of the LORD; ascribe greatness to our God! The Rock, his work is perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God, without deceit, just and upright is he;
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Sat, Oct 19th - 2:52PM
MINISTRY THROUGH FASTING
On October 6th I preached a sermon titled “The Fast of God's Choice” and suggested I would do a sequel to it. This is the sequel to “The Fast of God's Choice” titled “Ministry Through Fasting”.The family I was born in was not well off. But Mother and Dad worked hard to take care of their three children. Mother was a very devout woman and made sure we children were in church every time the doors open. I have often said, “Mother took me to church before I was dry behind the ears! She would have me in the Girl's Auxiliary if they had let boys in.” My brothers and I sometimes didn't want to eat everything on our plates. We would hid pieces of food on a ledge under the table. I can hear Mother say to us, “Now eat. Don't you know there are starving people in the world who would love to have what you are leaving on your plate!?” I have never forgotten those words but it took me a long time to think, “If I ate what was left on the plate the hungry in the world would still be hungry. If I left food on my plate, the hungry in the world would still be hungry. The only way this food left on my plate could help the hungry in the world was for me to take what was left to them. Put in a 'take-home' box and send it to the hungry. ” Out of these thoughts came to idea of Ministering Through Fasting. Why not fast for a meal and put the cost of that meal aside to give to the hungry in the world. That would be be Ministering Through Fasting. Now, remember this is not a command of the Lord nor me, or a duty. It is to be a way to express your loving service to the Lord. It is something you work out between you, your doctor, and the Lord Jesus. You would need to evaluate your health to do this and determine if you can do it and how often you can do it. Of course, feeding the hungry is not the only ministry. Our mission fields, our hospitals, our orphan homes, our nursing homes, our colleges and universities, our Encampments for children in the summers. There are so many things that we could minister to by fasting now and then but laying the cost of the meals that we sacrifice aside for these various ministry needs. I plan to do it now and then. There are two texts, one from the Old Testament and the Other from the New Testament that give great motivation for Ministering Through Fasting. One of our texts is Isa 58:1-11 1 Shout out, do not hold back! Lift up your voice like a trumpet! Announce to my people their rebellion, to the house of Jacob their sins. 2 Yet day after day they seek me and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness and did not forsake the ordinance of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments, they delight to draw near to God. 3 "Why do we fast, but you do not see? Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?" Look, you serve your own interest on your fast day, and oppress all your workers. 4 Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to strike with a wicked fist. Such fasting as you do today will not make your voice heard on high. 5 Is such the fast that I choose, a day to humble oneself? Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush, and to lie in sackcloth and ashes? Will you call this a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD? 6 Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin? 8 Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. 9 Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am. If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, 10 if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday. 11 The LORD will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail. Isaiah 58:3 is a warning about the motives we have in fasting and service. It reads: 3 "Why do we fast, but you do not see? Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?" Look, you serve your own interest on your fast day, and oppress all your workers. The people complained that God did not notice their fasting. They fasted ever so humbly, and God did not pay them any attention. The fasting and service these people offered was motivated by self-interest. Praying, fasting, and service is not to impress God but must be for the love we have for God and needy people. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave.....the greatest gift...the life of His only begotten Son.... If God so loved the world that He gave what He loved the most, then, we should also must 'so' love the world that we give of the best we have. It is painful to look at the world and its needs. We shrink from pain, so we don't focus on world-needs. But if we 'so' loved the world as God 'so' loved the world we would assess world-needs, and determine things that we can do to alleviate some of these needs. We could commit to fast at safe intervals of time laying aside the money for the meals we sacrificed for giving to the needs of the world. We think what difference would what little I have make to so many and the great needs in the world? This question reminds me of an illustration I heard one time. There was a man on the beach picking up star-fish that got stranded on the beach one at a time and throwing each one back into the ocean. An observer said to the man, “What difference does it make among these thousands of star-fish?” The man replied, “It will make a big difference to this star-fish as he threw it back into the ocean!” We, too, can make a difference in one life at a time. Let us consider some of the world's needs. First of all and foremost, the world needs to get in out of the dark. The world needs Light—the Light—Jesus Christ. Think of the darkness the world is in. When Adam and Eve sinned, it was cosmic in its result. The creation is groaning for restoration. Romans 8:19-22 (NRSV)
19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; 20 for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now;
This calls us to meet the environmental needs of our world. This we ought to do, but not leave some weightier needs unmet. As we said, the world need the Light—Jesus Christ. We cannot all be as Paul or as Billy Graham who preached to thousands. These servants provided the Light of Christ to many. But, if we fast to give support to missionaries it will make a difference to the ones we do reach with our small sacrifice. In my first pastorate, I will never forget my first visit to my lead deacon. He said to me, “Preacher, there are not any lost people in this community, so you just preach to us Christians.” Well, I was young, but I am sure if anyone looked closely they could have seen the big question mark above my head. As time went on, we set a time for a revival meeting. I asked one of my professors at Hardin Simmons University to preach the revival. Immediately after he said, “Yes”, I asked myself, “Why in the world did I ask him of all people to preach a revival in my church?” He was the driest, most monotoned professor in the Bible Department of Hardin Simmons or any other department, as far as that goes. However, he preached and stole the hearts of the people. On Wednesday night, he preached on 'Forgiveness'. At the end of the sermon, a woman we will call 'Willie' that always sat in the section to my left and another woman we will call Geretha, that always sat in the section to my right met in the middle isle, hugged each other and forgave each other. They had not spoken to each other for a long time. It happened Willie's son married Geretha. Then Willie's son, Geretha's husband went to an oil well one night, climbed over the steel wire fence to get some drip gasoline. Someone dropped a cigarette on the ground that caught it on fire and burned Willie's son who, of course was Geretha's husband critically. At the hospital Willie and Geretha were at the bedside of the man when the Doctor came in and told the ladies, “Don't feed him anything cold.” The Doctor left, and Geretha went to the cafeteria for something to eat. While Geretha was gone the Doctor came back and told Willie, “Your son is not going to live. Feed him anything he wants.” Geretha returned from the cafeteria and saw Willie, her Mother-in-Law, feeding her husband ice cream. She blamed Willie for the death of her husband because she thought Willie was going against the Doctor's order not to feed her husband anything cold. They never forgave each other nor did they speak to each other until that Wednesday night revival meeting. A revival indeed broke out and I baptized 13 young people who were converted at that revival meeting in a community where there was supposed to be no lost people. Two young people also committed themselves to full time Christian service. One of the two went to Africa and the Philippines to serve as a missionary. He was the Chairman of a Missions committee where he was serving and led the group of missionaries to set a goal to establish a church a day for the coming year. They not only exceeded that goal but repeated it for several years. That church I pastored was very small but how many churches around the world came about because of one young man's commitment to serve the Lord full time? We cannot estimate what might happen if we fast and give the price of that meal to a hungry person, to an evangelistic association, to a mission project, to an orphan's home, or any of countless needs in this dark world. Comprehending the needs of the world moves us to compassion. However, there is something greater that comprehending the needs of the world to move us to action. The other text for this message is Matthew 25:31-46 (NRSV) 31 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. 34 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.' 37 Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38 And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39 And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?' 40 And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.' 41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, 'You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' 44 Then they also will answer, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?' 45 Then he will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." Jesus said that when we feed the hungry, we feed Him or when we deny a needed person help we are denying help to Jesus. Now, this fasting is to be over and above our tithe to the church. So, when we fast, let us take the cost of the meal we sacrificed to people in need. By doing so, we are fasting and ministering to Jesus.
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Sat, Oct 19th - 8:46AM
THE GRAVITY OF SIN!
Our sin must be extremely horrible. Nothing reveals the gravity of sin like the cross. For ultimately what sent Christ there was neither the greed of Judas, nor the envy of the priests, nor the vacillating cowardice of Pilate, but our own greed, envy, cowardice and other sins, and Christ's resolve in love and mercy to bear their judgment and so put them away. It is impossible for us to face Christ's cross with integrity and not to feel ashamed of ourselves. Apathy, selfishness and complacency blossom everywhere in the world except at the cross. There these noxious weeds shrivel and die. They are seen for the tatty, poisonous things they are. For if there was no way by which the righteous God could righteously forgive our unrighteousness, except that he should bear it himself in Christ, it must be serious indeed. It is only when we see this that, stripped of our self-righteousness and self-satisfaction, we are ready to put our trust in Jesus Christ as the Saviour we urgently need. JOHN STOTT
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Sat, Oct 19th - 8:33AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A woman walked up to a little old man rocking in a chair on his porch. "I couldn't help noticing how happy you look," she said. "What's your secret for a long happy life?"
"I smoke three packs of cigarettes a day," he said. "I also drink a case of whiskey a week, eat fatty foods, and never exercise."
"That's amazing," said the woman, "how old are you?"
"Twenty-six," he said.
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Sat, Oct 19th - 8:24AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: "When you face your fear, most of the time you will discover that it was not really such a big threat after all. We all need some form of deeply rooted, powerful motivation. It empowers us to overcome obstacles so we can live our dreams."* Les Brown *"He said, “Do not fear, greatly beloved, you are safe. Be strong and courageous!” When he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.” Daniel 10:19 (NRSV) "You came near when I called on you; you said, “Do not fear!” Lamentations 3:57 (NRSV) "I can do anything God wants me to through Christ Who lives in me." (Doyle Purifoy's paraphrase of Philippians. 4:13)
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Fri, Oct 18th - 8:29AM
THE DIVIDED SELF!
What we are (our self or personal identity) is partly the result of the Creation (the image of God), and partly the result of the fall (the image defaced). The self we are to deny, disown, and crucify is our fallen self, everything within us that is incompatible with Jesus Christ (hence Christ's command, 'let him deny himself and follow me'). The self we are to affirm and value is our created self, everything within us that is compatible with Jesus Christ (hence his statement that if we lose ourselves by self-denial we shall find ourselves). True self-denial (the denial of our false, fallen self) is not the road to self-destruction, but the road to self-discovery. So, then, whatever we are by creation, we must affirm: our rationality, our sense of moral obligation, our masculinity and femininity, our aesthetic appreciation and artistic creativity, our stewardship of the fruitful earth, our hunger for love and community, our sense of the transcendent mystery of God, and our inbuilt urge to fall down and worship him. All this is part of our created humanness. True, it has all been tainted and twisted by sin. Yet Christ came to redeem and not destroy it. So we must affirm it. But whatever we are by the fall, we must deny or repudiate: our irrationality; our moral perversity; our loss of sexual distinctives; our fascination with the ugly; our lazy refusal to develop God's gifts; our pollution and spoliation of the environment; our selfishness, malice, individualism, and revenge, which are destructive of human community; our proud autonomy; and our idolatrous refusal to worship God. All this is part of our fallen humanness. Christ came not to redeem this but to destroy it. So we must deny it. JOHN STOTT
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Fri, Oct 18th - 8:16AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A police officer in a small town stopped a motorist who was speeding down Main Street. "But officer," the man began, "I can explain."
"Just be quiet," snapped the officer. "I'm going to let you cool your heels in jail until the chief gets back."
"But, officer, I just wanted to say,..."
"And I said to keep quiet! You're going to jail!"
A few hours later the officer looked in on his prisoner and said, "Lucky for you that the chief's at his daughter's wedding. He'll be in a good mood when he gets back."
"Don't count on it," answered the fellow in the cell. "I'm the groom."
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Fri, Oct 18th - 8:11AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
THOUGHT FOR TODAY! "You've got to get up every morning with determination if you're going to go to bed with satisfaction."* -- George Horace Lorimer (shared by Rebbecca R.) *Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13-14 (NRSV)
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Thu, Oct 17th - 9:32AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
Student to teacher: Mrs. Smith, I ain’t got no crayons.
Teacher to student: Young man, you mean, I don’t have any crayons.
You don’t have any crayons. We don’t have any crayons.
They don’t have any crayons.
Do you see what I’m getting at?
Student: I think so. What happened to all the crayons?
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Thu, Oct 17th - 9:14AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: The One who made the Mississippi River and the ten million billion billion stars in our known universe is waiting to hear my next prayer. (He can give me His undivided attention without neglecting anyone else.) He's powerful enough to help me with my greatest problem, and personal enough to want to.* Dr. James C. Denison *7Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7 (NRSV) 19And my God will fully satisfy every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 (NRSV)
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Wed, Oct 16th - 10:18AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
THOUGHT FOR TODAY! For insofar as the church is conformed to the world, and the two communities appear to the onlooker to be merely two versions of the same thing, the church is contradicting its true identity. No comment could be more hurtful to the Christian than the words, ‘But you are no different from anybody else’. * John Stott
*2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2 (NRSV)
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Wed, Oct 16th - 10:09AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A man feared his wife wasn't hearing as well as she used to and he thought she might need a hearing aid. Not quite sure how to approach her, he called the family Doctor to discuss the problem.The Doctor told him there is a simple informal test the husband could perform to give the Doctor a better idea about her hearing loss.Here's what you do," said the Doctor, "stand about 40 feet aw ay from her, and in a normal conversational speaking tone see if she hears you.If not, go to 30 feet, then 20 feet, and so on until you get a response."That evening, the wife is in the kitchen cooking dinner, and he was in the den. He says to himself, "I'm about 40 feet away, let's see what happens.Then in a normal tone he asks, 'Honey, what's for dinner?"No response.So the husband moves closer to the kitchen, about 30 feet from his wife and repeats, "Honey, what's for dinner?"Still no response.Next he moves into the dining room where he is about 20 feet from his wife and asks, "Honey, what's for dinner?"Again he gets no response.So, he walks up to the kitchen door, about 10 feet away. "Honey, what's for dinner?"Again there is no response.So he walks right up behind her. "Honey, what's for dinner?"
"Ralph, for the FIFTH time, CHICKEN!!!"
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Tue, Oct 15th - 9:19PM
WALKING IN THE TRUTH
John stated in 2 John 1:4 (NRSV) 4I was overjoyed to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we have been commanded by the Father. Walking in the truth is putting our faith in the action. It is living consistently with what we profess to believe. I have in the flyleaf of all my personal use Bibles:
...I... '...claim a right to retract any opinion which improvement in reasoning and knowledge may at any time show me is groundless.' (Hey's 'Lectures On the Article?) Lightfoot, Gal. p. xi. Then, if I err in some things, which by the grace of God I hope is not the case, I pray everyone for the Lord's sake, lest I be put to shame, that if anyone hath stronger and more convincing truth, he, through brotherly love, exhortation, and instruction might assist me. I desire with my heart to accept it, If he be right. Deal with me according to the intention of the Spirit and the Word of Christ. (Menno) We do not need to fear being found wrong; we need to fear that our errors will not be found out or that we will be too obstinate to correct our errors when they are exposed.
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Tue, Oct 15th - 8:42AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A man comes up to the owner of a lumberjack business and says, "I need a job and I think I'm pretty good." The owner replied, "Okay, show me what you can do, chop down that redwood over there." The man said okay and left. Five minutes later he came back and was done. The owner was shocked and asked, "How did you chop that tree down so fast?" The man said, "I got a lot of practice in the Sahara." The owner replied, "You mean the Sahara desert?" "Yes" he said, "or at least that's what they call it now."
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Tue, Oct 15th - 8:34AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: God was better prepared to accept rejection than was Samuel, knowing that the people ultimately would do what they wanted in any case. The God who grants human freedom is wise enough and patient enough to know that those same humans often will make inappropriate choices, and is gracious enough not to give up on them.* -- Tony W. Cartledge. *21And when many terrible troubles come upon them, this song will confront them as a witness, because it will not be lost from the mouths of their descendants. For I know what they are inclined to do even now, before I have brought them into the land that I promised them on oath.” Deuteronomy 31:21 (NRSV)
9 The heart is devious above all else; it is perverse— who can understand it? Jeremiah 17:9 (NRSV)
15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. 16Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:15 - 16 (NRSV)
9The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 (NRSV)
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Mon, Oct 14th - 10:07AM
WHEN A CONSCIENCE DRIVES
A guilty conscience is a great blessing, but only if it drives us to come home. JOHN STOTT
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Mon, Oct 14th - 9:56AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A couple was arranging for their wedding, and asked the bakery to inscribe the wedding cake with "1 John 4:18" which reads "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear." The bakery evidently lost, smudged or otherwise misread the noted reference, and beautifully inscribed on the cake "John 4:18" ... "for you have had five husbands, and the man you have now is not your husband."
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Mon, Oct 14th - 9:48AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: The big question is whether you are going to be able to say a hearty yes to your adventure"* -- Joseph Campbell *"For in him every one of God’s promises is a “Yes.” For this reason it is through him that we say the “Amen,” to the glory of God." 2 Corinthians 1:20 (NRSV) "Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:12-14 (NRSV)
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Sun, Oct 13th - 8:03AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
Did you hear about the restaurant on the Moon? Great food but no atmosphere!
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Sun, Oct 13th - 7:54AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: Suffering from truth decay? Brush up on your Bible.* *"Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)
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Sat, Oct 12th - 8:15PM
GOD REPENTS
God repents every time a soul repents and believes on the Lord Jesus Christ. Jonah 3:10 (KJV) 10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not. When Nineveh repented, God repented of the judgment they were under because of their sin. Think about it. Every time a soul repents God repents of the judgment the soul was under. John 3:17-18 (KJV) 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. Romans 6:23 (KJV)23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. John 3:16 (KJV) 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. If God 'so' loved the world, then we must 'so' love the world.!
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Sat, Oct 12th - 7:42AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A farmer walks into a lawyer's office and says: "I'd like to get one of them-thar day-vorce-ees" "Yes sir, I believe I can help you" replied the lawyer. "Do you have any grounds?" "Oh shore do!", exclaimed the farmer, "Got me bout a 140 acres out back a the house thar." "No no..., I mean do you have a case?" asked the lawyer. "No sur," replied the farmer, "I drive one of them John Deer's" "You don't understand," said the lawyer, "You need something like a grudge." "Oh!!" said the farmer, "I got me one of those! That's what I park muh Deer in!" The lawyer, a bit frustrated responded, "Sir, you've got to have a reason to divorce your wife. Does she beat you up or anything?" "No sur", replied the farmer, "I purt near get outta bed afore her ever mornin." Finally the exasperated lawyer shouted, "WHY do you want a divorce?" "Oh, well..." replied the farmer, "She says we jus can't communicate!!"
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Sat, Oct 12th - 7:33AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: God initiated history and He guides it toward His own purpose. -- Doyle Purifoy 1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being John 1:1 - 3 (NRSV)
9he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, 10as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 11In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, Ephesians 1:9 - 11 (NRSV)
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Sat, Oct 12th - 7:28AM
The assumption of human sinfulness
Much that we take for granted in a 'civilized' society is based upon the assumption of human sin. Nearly all legislation has grown up because human beings cannot be trusted to settle their own disputes with justice and without self-interest. A promise is not enough; we need a contract. Doors are not enough; we have to lock and bolt them. The payment of fares is not enough; tickets have to be issued, inspected and collected. Law and order are not enough; we need the police to enforce them. All this is due to man's sin. We cannot trust each other. We need protection against one another. It is a terrible indictment of human nature. JOHN STOTT
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Fri, Oct 11th - 8:36AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
The amazing (enabling) grace of God enables us escape and bear the temptations and trials so common to man and to meet His demands*. *Philippians 4:13 (NRSV) 13 I can do all things (anything God wants me to do) through him who strengthens me. 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NRSV) 13 No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.
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Thu, Oct 10th - 9:19AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A man visiting a graveyard saw a tombstone that read: "Here lies John Smith, a lawyer and an honest man."
"How about that!" he exclaimed. "They've got three people buried in one grave."
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Thu, Oct 10th - 9:07AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: Our faith is personal but never private. ... Faith must be both personal and public and never private.* Jim Wallis *15No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. Matthew 5:15 (NRSV)
19Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20 (NRSV)
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Wed, Oct 9th - 6:31AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE! SEDUCTION
A shy man was feeling a little lucky and decided to ask the subdued provocative Librarian about seduction as he tended to be oblique in his intentions.
“Do you have any books on women seducing men?''
The Librarian answered without hesitation '' Why yes" she murmured.
Most likely found in the '' Fantasy section"
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Wed, Oct 9th - 6:19AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
THOUGHT FOR TODAY! What God has done for us in Christ is enough to initiate eternal praise. I will not allow the circumstances of life to interrupt my praise!* *"I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us." Romans 8:18 (NRSV)
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Tue, Oct 8th - 8:47AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
At a party of professionals, a Doctor was having difficulty socializing. Everyone wanted to describe their symptoms, and get an opinion about diagnosis. The Doctor turned to a Lawyer acquaintance, and asked, "How do you handle people who want advice outside of the office?"
"Simple," answered the Lawyer, "I send them a bill. That stops it."
The next day, the Doctor, still feeling a bit reserved about what he had just finished doing, opened his mailbox to send the bills; there sat a bill from the Lawyer.
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Tue, Oct 8th - 8:39AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: Whenever we're hit with a trial, if we don't allow ourselves to become angry and bitter, we'll become much more empathetic toward others who are experiencing similar problems and more sensitive to their feelings. All these things make us more loving and a better friend.* - From "It Takes Two to Tango" by Gary and Norma Smalley *James 1:3-4 "Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."
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Mon, Oct 7th - 7:37AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A honeymoon couple is in the Watergate Hotel. The new bride is concerned and asked, "What if the place is still bugged?" The groom says "Hmm... Good point. I'll look for a bug." He looks behind the drapes, behind the pictures, under the rug . . . "AHA!" he shouts! Sure enough, under the rug was a small disc shaped plate, with four screws. He gets his Swiss army knife, unscrews the screws, throws them and the plate out the window. The next morning, the hotel manager asks the newlyweds "How was your room? How was the service? How was your stay at the Watergate Hotel?" Curious, the groom says, "And why, sir, are you asking me all of these questions?" The hotel manager says "Well, the room UNDER yours complained of the chandelier falling on them!"
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Mon, Oct 7th - 7:26AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: God initiated history and He guides it toward His own purpose. -- Doyle Purifoy 1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being John 1:1 - 3 (NRSV)
9he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, 10as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 11In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, Ephesians 1:9 - 11 (NRSV)
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Sun, Oct 6th - 7:51AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE! DUM KID
A young boy enters a barber shop and the barber whispers to his customer, “This is the dumbest kid in the world. Watch while I prove it to you.” The barber puts a dollar bill in one hand and two quarters in the other, then calls the boy over and asks, “Which do you want, son?” The boy takes the quarters and leaves. “What did I tell you?” said the barber. “That kid never learns!” Later, when the customer leaves, he sees the same young boy coming out of the ice cream store. “Hey, son! May I ask you a question? Why did you take the quarters instead of the dollar bill?” The boy licked his cone and replied, “Because the day I take the dollar, the game is over!”
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Sun, Oct 6th - 7:38AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: The treasure of Love is in our ability to share Love. Nothing in life means anything at all without Love.* Michael G. Maness *31But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way. 1If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. 4Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant 5or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. 7It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. 9For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; 10but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. 11When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. 12For now we see in a mirror, dimly but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. 13And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13 (NRSV)
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Sat, Oct 5th - 9:13AM
ORIGIN OF HUMAN RIGHTS
The origin of human rights is creation. Man has never 'acquired' them. Nor has any government or other authority conferred them. We have had them from the beginning. We received them with our life from the hand of our Maker. They are inherent in our creation. They have been bestowed on us by our Creator. JOHN STOTT
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Sat, Oct 5th - 9:06AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
THOUGHT FOR TODAY! A servant girl, who was once asked how she knew she was a converted Christian, replied: 'Well, you see, I used to sweep the dust under the mat, but now I don't.' It is possible to visit somebody else as if Jesus Christ lived there, to type a letter as if Jesus Christ were going to read it, to serve a customer as if Jesus Christ had come shopping that day, and to nurse a patient as if Jesus Christ were in that hospital bed. It is possible to cook a meal as if we were Martha in the kitchen, and Jesus Christ were going to eat it.* JOHN STOTT *28just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many." Matt 20:28 40And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Matt 25:40
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Sat, Oct 5th - 8:54AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE! MISTAKEN IDENTITY
A client bought a new home and the broker wanted to send flowers for the occasion. They arrived at the home and the owner read the card. It read, "Rest in Peace.” The owner was angry and called the florist to complain. After he had told the florist how angry he was about the obvious mistake, the florist said, "Sir, I'm really sorry, but imagine that somewhere there’s a funeral taking place today. They got flowers with a note saying, "Congratulations on your new home.”
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Fri, Oct 4th - 7:53PM
Follow Jesus
If you know Ayn Rand, an athiest who teaches that the supreme goal of man is happiness and selfishness and greed are virtues and if you know Jesus you must choose who you will follow. We cannot follow Jesus and follow Ayn Rand.
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Fri, Oct 4th - 7:35PM
God created man for His own Pleasure; not to make us happy
I read a disturbing article in “God Politics” a blog posted by Jim Wallace. The article was written by Ernesto Tinajero. He wrote on July 12, 2011:
In one of the most-viewed articles on FoxNews.com several weeks ago, writer Onkar Ghate presents a choice of competing moralities between Ayn Rand and Jesus. While his exegetical powers leave much to be desired, he is correct in noting that the choice many Americans will have to make, as far as political philosophies go, is between Ayn Rand and Jesus.
I grew sad reading his comments stating that Ayn Rand is the best representative of the neo-conservative vision for America — one where the individual is responsible only for the individual and selfishness is a virtue.
This grave false philosophy is gripping the United States of America. It is a vain, atheistic philosophy. God save America.”
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Fri, Oct 4th - 9:26AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A little boy forgot his lines in a Sunday School presentation.
His mother, sitting in the front row to prompt him, gestured and formed the words silently with her lips, but it didn't help. Her son's memory was blank.
Finally she leaned forward and whispered the cue, "I am the light of the world."
The child beamed and with great feeling and a loud, clear voice said, "My mother is the light of the world."
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Fri, Oct 4th - 9:17AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: "It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation."* - Herman Melville (1819 - 1891), Writer
*27As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. Galatians 3:27 (NRSV)
20and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 (NRSV)
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Thu, Oct 3rd - 9:23PM
Why I Vote the Way I Do!
Many of my Christian Brothers and Sisters do not understand why I vote the way I do. I can understand where they are coming from. I vote for a party who platform contains planks that are an abomination to me and I am sure are an abomination to God., IE., abortion on demand and gay marriage. How could I vote for a party that supports these abominations to God and to me?
Quick answer: I believe that the other major party's economic philosophy is more abominable to God and I know more abominable to me. I vote for the lessor of two evils. How could anything be more abominable than abortion and gay marriage?
I am going to quote from a post that I blogged sometime ago because it helps me describe what I believe is more abominable to God and I know it more abominable to me than abortion and gay marriage:
“(T)here is a false philosophy in practice in at least or nearly half of the citizens of the United States. The Philosophy is that of Ayn Rand who advocated reason as the only means of acquiring knowledge and rejected all forms of faith and religion. Reason is her god which is idolatry. Here are some comments I have previously written about this vain philosophy: Ayn Rand (1905–1982). Her philosophy is: “…the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute.” Even a babe in Christ recognizes this as a godless philosophy.
The philosophy of Ayn Rand drives many of our American legislators. Selfishness and greed are virtues. We are to pursue our own happiness. Look after number one.
This philosophy also promotes economic Darwinism: the survival of the fittest. Of course, the fittest in Darwinism economic system are the rich. The laborers are the slaves of the rich, who make them rich. The Ayn Rand legislators balance the budget on the backs of the working class, the seniors, and those who for varied reasons are not working. The fittest rich pay little or no taxes. The government is financed by the taxes of the middle class.
I do not claim to have worked out a Christian Economy. However, I am sure it is not godless Communism, and I am sure it is not driven by atheist Ann Rand’s ‘Look after number one!
I read a disturbing article in “God Politics” a blog posted by Jim Wallace. The article was written by Ernesto Tinajero. He wrote on July 12, 2011:
In one of the most-viewed articles on FoxNews.com several weeks ago, writer Onkar Ghate presents a choice of competing moralities between Ayn Rand and Jesus. While his exegetical powers leave much to be desired, he is correct in noting that the choice many Americans will have to make, as far as political philosophies go, is between Ayn Rand and Jesus.
I grew sad reading his comments stating that Ayn Rand is the best representative of the neo-conservative vision for America — one where the individual is responsible only for the individual and selfishness is a virtue.
This grave false philosophy is gripping the United States of America. It is a vain, atheistic philosophy. God save America.”
I now am going to quote the first half of that blog I just quoted from because it further explains why I believe that my voting Democratic is voting for a much lessor evil than voting otherwise:
Deuteronomy 15:7-8
"If there is among you anyone in need, a member of your community in any of your towns within the land that the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted toward your needy neighbor. You should rather open your hand, willingly lending enough to meet the need, whatever it may be."
Luke 10:25-37 (NRSV)
25 Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he said, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 26 He said to him, "What is written in the law? What do you read there?" 27 He answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." 28 And he said to him, "You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live." 29 But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" 30 Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, 'Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.' 36 Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?" 37 He said, "The one who showed him mercy." Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise." (Sounds like universal health care to me.
Again in Matthew 8:16 (NRSV)
16 That evening they brought to him many who were possessed with demons; and he cast out the spirits with a word, and cured all who were sick.)
Also, Jesus identified with the poor. His commission was to the poor: Luke 4:18 (NRSV)
18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free,
Never is Jesus' identification with the poor so clearly stated as in Matthew 25:31-46 (NRSV)
31 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. 34 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.' 37 Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38 And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39 And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?' 40 And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.' 41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, 'You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' 44 Then they also will answer, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?' 45 Then he will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
This total consciousness of the poor continued in the early Church: Acts 2:44-47 (NRSV)
44 All who believed were together and had all things in common; 45 they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.
We know the practice of having all things in common did not continue because apparently it was not God's will. It did give rise to a great temptation.
For example, Acts 5:1-4 (NRSV)
1 But a man named Ananias, with the consent of his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property; 2 with his wife's knowledge, he kept back some of the proceeds, and brought only a part and laid it at the apostles' feet. 3 "Ananias," Peter asked, "why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the proceeds of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, were not the proceeds at your disposal? How is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You did not lie to us but to God!"
We do note that the experience of holding all things in common was a voluntary participation because Peter asked: While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, were not the proceeds at your disposal? So these early Christians cannot be accused of Communism because it was totally voluntary. Nevertheless, a compassion for the poor continued with the early Christians.
The Apostles continued to admonish the Christians to minister to the poor: 1 John 3:14-17 (NRSV)
14 We know that we have passed from death to life because we love one another. Whoever does not love abides in death. 15 All who hate a brother or sister are murderers, and you know that murderers do not have eternal life abiding in them. 16 We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. 17 How does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?
It is my conviction that God has created enough resources to provide for each and all life that He has created. However, it is as the following illustrations shows that God's provision for the poor is being horded by rich people: A minister stood up in the pulpit and announced, “I have good news and I have bad news. The good news is that we have the money to build our expanded Worship Center. The bad news that the money is still in your pockets.”
This is the case in the world today. The reason the poor go hungry is because their money is in our pockets.
Tony Campolo said, “It is not wrong to make a million dollars. It's just wrong to keep it.”
The very purpose of work is to have something to give to the poor. Ephesians 4:28 (NRSV)
28 Thieves must give up stealing; rather let them labor and work honestly with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy.
There is a verse of Scripture that throws light on our subject: 2 Thessalonians 3:10 (NRSV)
10 For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: Anyone unwilling to work should not eat.
The Bible does not discourage work. Clearly one not willing to work is not worthy to eat. However, some get so focused on this that they conclude that everyone not working is not worthy of food. But that is not the Biblical philosophy.
In the mid 50's there was a recession. I was in business for myself and making more money than I had ever made in my life. Then President Nixon said, “We are going to have a depression.” Sure enough we went into recession. Because the product I sold was a luxury and not a necessity, my business failed. I look for work for months.
On night about 11pm, I received a call from my bank loan officer. He said that he was more concerned about what I owed the bank than I was. He suggest I get a minimum job. Well, a minimum job would not pay my bills. Further, it would remove me from the job search for lack of time. And certainly the bank would not be a priority before my tithe, rent, food, medicine, etc. I finally got a job. In spite of my CPA's suggestion to go bankrupt, I with the aid of a counseling agency paid out of my debt. I was still the same person I was when I was without a job. I was not working but I was willing. It is a grave sin to look down on people willing to work but not working because no one has hired them.
David said in Psalm 37:25 (NRSV)
“I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.”
Some take this verse as justification for looking down on welfare recipients. But just because David had never seen the righteous begging didn't mean that there were then or now no righteous beggars. David had not seen Lazareth and the rich man: Luke 16:19-31 (NRSV)
19 "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man's table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. 24 He called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.' 25 But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. 26 Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.' 27 He said, 'Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father's house—
28 for I have five brothers—that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.' 29 Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.' 30 He said, 'No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' 31 He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'"
There is a grave danger in closing our hearts of compassion to the poor.
We are not in a position to look down on anyone. Only God is in a position to look down on anyone. We are not able to judge whether a person does not want to work or does want to work unless we thoroughly investigate the person's situation or he tells us he will not work or that he will work. Jesus illustrated the attitude we should have in Matthew 20:1-16 (NRSV)
1 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 When he went out about nine o'clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; 4 and he said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' So they went. 5 When he went out again about noon and about three o'clock, he did the same. 6 And about five o'clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, 'Why are you standing here idle all day?' 7 They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard.' 8 When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, 'Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.' 9 When those hired about five o'clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. 10 Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. 11 And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, 12 saying, 'These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching 13 But he replied to one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? 14 Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?' 16 So the last will be first, and the first will be last."
This illustrates that many who are not working are not working because no one has hired them. This is so true in the time of recessions. My daughter and my son have been unemployed for over three years because no one has hired them, not because they are unwilling to work. My daughter has 'worked' faithfully with the Texas Work Force all these years. She has discovered that some employers have rules not to hire anyone over 40-50 years old. Some will not hire anyone that is unemployed. And these employers who won't hire the unemployed are blaming someone else for the high unemployment rate.
This is not the attitude reflected in the story Jesus gave about the laborers in the vineyard. One thing striking about this story is that it says the agreement was for a days wages. God knows that it takes as much money to live one day as a worker or as an unemployed person. Here again, this passage is not teaching Communism because is ask the question: “Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?”
It is obvious that the philosophy of Jesus is inoperative in much if not most of the world even by Christians.
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A WORTHLESS PERSON.
A WORTHLESS PERSON IS THE FIGMENT OF SOMEONE'S IMMAGINATION!
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Thu, Oct 3rd - 9:29AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
Once there was a millionaire who collected live alligators. He kept them in the pool in back of his mansion. The millionaire also had a beautiful single daughter.
So one day he decides to throw a huge party, and during the party he announces: "My dear guests, I have a proposition to every man here. I will give one million dollars or my daughter to the man that can swim across this pool full of alligators and emerge unharmed!"
As soon as he finished his last word there was the sound of a large SPLASH! One guy was in the pool, swimming as fast as he could, and the crowd was cheering him on. Finally he made it to the other side unharmed.
The millionaire was impressed. He said "My boy that was incredible! Fantastic! I didn't think it could be done! Well I must keep my end of the bargain, so which do you want: my daughter or the one million dollars?
The guy says "Listen I don't want your money! And I don't want your daughter! I just want the goober who pushed me into that pool!
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Thu, Oct 3rd - 9:17AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: "Your net worth doesn't equal your personal worth." Remember the source of your personal worth.* Jim Denison, Pastor Park Cities Baptist Church Dallas TX
*19Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19 - 20 (NRSV
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Wed, Oct 2nd - 6:46AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
You are driving along in your car on a wild, stormy night. You pass by a bus stop, and you see three people waiting for the bus:
1. An old lady who looks as if she is about to die.
2. An old friend who once saved your life.
3. The perfect man (or) woman you have been dreaming about.
Which one would you choose to offer a ride to, knowing that there could only be one passenger in your car?
Think before you continue reading. This is a moral/ethical dilemma that was once actually used as part of a job application.
You could pick up the old lady, because she is going to die, and thus you should save her first; or you could take the old friend because he once saved your life, and this would be the perfect chance to pay him back. However, you may never be able to find your perfect dream lover again.
The candidate who was hired (out of 200 applicants) had no trouble coming up with his answer.
He simply answered: "I would give the car keys to my old friend, and let him take the lady to the hospital. I would stay behind and wait for the bus with the woman of my dreams."
Never forget to "Think Outside of the Box."
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Wed, Oct 2nd - 6:35AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: "Reflect upon your blessings, of which every man has plenty, not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some."* -- Charles Dickens
*"Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Philippians 4:8 (NRSV)
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Tue, Oct 1st - 8:44AM
THE IMAGE OF GOD!
Whatever mode God employed in creation (and the mode is eclipsed in importance by the fact), God made man in his own image or likeness. Although the Bible nowhere spells out in so many words what this means, the implications are clear. For everywhere Scripture assumes man's qualitative difference from the animals, and rebukes or ridicules man when his behaviour is more bestial than human in its irrationality of godlessness or selfishness. The divine image in man is a complex of qualities, which might be summarized as follows:
(a) Man has an intelligence, a capacity to reason and even to evaluate and criticize himself.(b) Man has a conscience, a capacity to recognize moral values and make moral choices.(c) Man has a society, a capacity to love and to be loved in personal, social relationships.(d) Man has a dominion, a capacity to exercise lordship over creation, to subdue the earth and to be creative.(e) Man has a soul, a capacity to worship, to pray and live in communion with God.
These capacities (mental, moral, social, creative and spiritual) constitute the divine image, because of which man is unique.
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Tue, Oct 1st - 8:33AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
A man walks into the psychiatrist’s office with a zucchini up his nose, a cucumber in his left ear, and a breadstick in his right ear. He says, “What is wrong with me?
The psychiatrist replies, “You are not eating properly.”
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Tue, Oct 1st - 8:22AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: Exercise Daily--Walk with the Lord!*
*8for, while physical training is of some value, godliness is valuable in every way, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 1 Timothy 4:8 (NRSV)
4I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my children are walking in the truth. 3 John 1:4 (NRSV)
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Name: Doyle Purifoy
